You are here

Youth Villages

Masa Israel teaching Fellows- Youth Village

An insufficient grasp of the English language can be a major socioeconomic barrier for Israelis in the periphery, who often do not have regular exposure to native English speakers.

Ma'ase Olam-Masa Israel Teaching Fellows works to close Israel's achievement gap by bringing college graduates from English-speaking countries to Israel to tutor students in one on one and small group settings, to serve as English teachers' aids, and to lead special English-based activities in Israeli schools and youth centers.

Israel Teaching Fellows- Youth Villages is a 10-month service-learning program for English-speaking young adults. The program includes:

· A Unique ITF Experience; participants live, work, and play in the Village allowing for greater opportunities to watch students grow and develop inside and outside the classroom, affording a much deeper connection to all students.

· Work with students in various community projects throughout the village to promote self-sustainability, independence and work ethic.

· Teaching English to individuals and small groups in both Jr. High and High School Settings.

· Engage students in their “home-boarding groups” to build a strong sense of community and family mentality.

By being part of Ma'ase Olam - Israel Teaching Fellows, you become part of a much larger social change organization called Ma'ase. You will become a member of the Ma'ase community of 700 volunteers from all over Israel and the world. Together we are taking an active and central role in shaping Israel's future.

In addition to teaching in the villages, Fellows will work in different community projects to meet the needs of the villages at large. Examples of projects include:

· Adopt a group: the kids who board at the village split up into groups for the afternoons and evenings. Each fellow adopts a group they feel more connected to and while working together with the counselors create and partake in activities.

· Afterschool programs for students to help out with English homework/ assignments / and just to hang out and build good rapport with the kids.

· Planning events around the holidays for the village.

· Farm work: For those who are interested there are a variety of fields of agriculture on each village. Including a dairy farm, horse ranch, petting zoo, field labor, gardening and more.

Fellows will assist teachers allowing for greater assessment of students and classroom needs.

Fellows can expect to be teacher’s aides and work with students in small groups and one on one. There can be opportunities for individual projects to be done based on student interest; including debate, school newspaper, spelling bee, and writing comic books in English.

The amount of hours in the classroom is very fluid and can change slightly from week to week and teacher to teacher based on needs of the class.

The training program consists of ongoing pedagogical guidance provided by trained advisors.

Training content is based on the requirements of the English Inspectorate of the Ministry of Education and will introduce Fellows to the Israeli Educational System, the culture of the Israeli classroom, the English curriculum, dynamics of tutoring, textbooks, best teaching practices, school enrichment programs, unformal education training, and other topics relevant to Fellows' volunteer work.

Activities (chivrutot) led by fellows and outside speakers focusing on developing cross-cultural dialogue as well as individual and collective Jewish identity. During the program, you will have the opportunity to study different aspects of Israeli society and the many challenges it faces, as well as the Israeli-Diaspora relationship.

You will go on several tours, or tiyulim, throughout Israel to learn firsthand about Israel’s history, diverse geography, and various cultures. All tiyulim are designed with the intention of better understanding the pressing social justice issues in each region of the country.

All English-speaking participants will study Hebrew (no prior knowledge required) and due to the size of the Youth Village Fellow group, Hebrew lessons are in small groups where you get more individual attention.

During the program you will receive a direct deposit of 600nis a month to cover basic public transportation. The stipend will be deposited directly to your bank account, which will be opened in Israel for this purpose. Participants may want to bring extra money with them for further personal spending.

Fellows will be housed in furnished apartments and will be encouraged to live communally, setting the stage for a transformative encounter with the other English-speaking participants in the program. They will be sharing rooms/apartments with 1-2 other fellows. Each village has a laundry room that Fellows have access to. Also three meals a day are provided in the village cafeteria, but fellows can order ingredients from the kitchens and cook in their apartments.

Total program cost is $1,050, including all accommodations and health insurance. Ma'ase Olam will reimburse you for the cost of your flight (up to 5,000 NIS) upon successful completion of the program. Ma'ase Olam provides a monthly stipend of 600 NIS for transportation.

Israel Teaching Fellows is made possible by the generous support of the Ministry of Education of the State of Israel. Ma'ase Olam - Israel Teaching Fellows is a Masa Israel Journey accredited program. Masa Israel alumni are not eligible to participate in Israel Teaching Fellows program.

About Youth Villages

Youth Villages general

Youth Villages in Israel operate as day schools and boarding schools for two major youth populations; new immigrants and youth from deprived social groups. The villages provide all necessary amenities to create an environment that eliminates outside negative influences, promotes integration into society and provides extracurricular activities that interest the youths that would otherwise be unavailable to them.

Meet the Fellows

To get in touch with present and past fellows please visit masa.gradtrain.com. Remember to select Youth Villages to reach our fellows!

Ma'ase ("deed" or "action" in Hebrew) is an award winning non-profit organization that was established in 2004 to promote equal opportunity and civic leadership among young adults from Israel’s peripheries through volunteer and follow-up programs. Ma'ase Olam, a project of Ma'ase, runs joint 10-month service learning programs bringing together young adults from Israel and the Diaspora to do meaningful service work in communities in Israel’s geographic and social periphery. Ma'ase Olam organizes Israel Teaching Fellows, an opportunity for exemplary college graduates to teach English in Israel on a 10-month service program. Our goal is to address Israel’s educational achievement gap and the widespread underperformance of youth in low-income communities.

Ma'ase Olam Israel Teaching Fellows is a Masa Israel Journey program and is made possible by the generous support of the Ministry of Education of the State of Israel and Mercaz Ma'ase. Masa Israel is a joint venture of The Jewish Agency for Israel and the Government of Israel.

· Not have Israeli citizenship OR if you do, you must have left Israel before the age of 14 and have lived outside of Israel for at least four consecutive years prior to receiving a Masa Israel grant or scholarship

· Not have been on an organized program in Israel (including an academic program) of more than four months since September 2004

If eligible for a Masa grant fellows are responsible to pay $1,050 for the full 10-month experience. This fee includes furnished accommodations, a monthly stipend, Hebrew immersion classes, professional and personal development activities, organized tours across Israel, and other enrichment activities. You will receive a flight reimbursement for up to 5,000 NIS at the end of the program. Ma’ase Olam’s programs are highly subsidized due to their intensive nature. They are intended for those who are serious about creating social change and developing into leaders in the Jewish world.

You will receive a monthly stipend of 600NIS to pay for basic transportation costs.

We are more than happy to help you prepare a monthly budget so that the stipend will suffice for essentials. The program covers all your housing and utilities, but you may be interested in spending money on additional items: going out to restaurants and bars, buying clothing, traveling around Israel independently, etc. We encourage you to save money prior to the start of your program.

You will be living in furnished apartments communally with other Israel Teaching Fellows participants. You will share a room with 1-2 other people in the apartment. All of the apartments have air conditioning, heat/space heaters, Wifi Internet, a kitchenette with dishes, pots, and pans, sheets and towels. Laundry is accessible on the Village. Three meals a day is also provided on the villages.

Bus and train although if you make the right contacts you can hitch rides from people leaving the villages. Also every other Thursday the kids go home on busses that the village provides so you can find a bus that goes to the area that you need to get to. There are also many phone applications that can assist in getting acquainted with the public bus and train system in Israel.

Because this is a pilot program we are still looking for the optimal schedule. One that takes advantage of the uniqueness of the youth village and isn’t too much of a burden on the fellows. Ideally we would like to be in the classrooms 2-3 times a week. Hebrew lessons (ulpan) twice a week for two hours each session. Weekly discussion groups (chavrutas) once a week. 2-3 Sundays a month will be used for enrichment days or pedagogical workshops. There are also afterschool tutoring secessions and after school activities where the fellows can join and participate in.

Yes. Although Ma'ase Olam is structured and intensive, you will have free time. Most of your weekends are free. Additionally, you have extended vacations during religious and national holidays. Also you are given five vacation days to use at your leisure.

The quality of education in Israel’s periphery varies greatly. Sometimes you’ll work with students who speak near fluent English, and sometimes you’ll work with students that have never encountered English in their day-to-day lives. You’ll primarily work with students in Junior High and High School. Don’t be dissuaded by teachers or counselors telling you that a student is a “problem child” or “doesn’t understand.” The odds are, this student has never received the one on-one attention they all crave. You will work closely with your teachers and counselors in the village to help prepare you for the students you will be assisting. It’s challenging work, but the rewards are innumerable. The students although sometimes difficult to connect with at first, as many teenagers are, are in need of individual attention and are looking for deeper connections and mentoring.

As a foreigner in a new country it can be daunting thinking about all the new things you will encounter. For that reason Ma’ase Olam provides all of our groups with a counselor (Madrich) who is there to help you adjust. The Madrich is there to help you figure out your day to day lives in the beginning and continues to be a support throughout the entirety of the program. Also all of Ma’ase Olam is present to help assist with any questions and concerns throughout the program.

The youth village program is assigned a pedagogical advisor from an accredited university in Israel who will be responsible for your education and village training. Example topics of training include; what is a youth village and what you can expect it to be like, informal activity training, how to work with youth at risk, etc.

Educational sessions are designed to improve your capabilities as an educator and Jewish leader. Particular attention is devoted to techniques for Jewish education and leadership, as well as building a stronger understanding of the various social issues in Israel today. Some past sessions have included: Economic and Social Disparities in Israel, Culture Shock and Adaptation to a New Culture, Creating Meaningful Relationships: Interpersonal Communication with a Language Barrier, and more.

No but Hebrew preparation is suggested. Participants come on Ma'ase Olam with a wide range of Hebrew knowledge. All participants are required to study in ulpan, an intensive Hebrew class. Multiple ulpan classes are provided so as to accommodate the range of Hebrew ability within the program.

Applicants do not need a formal background in education to join Israel Teaching Fellows, though any type of formal or informal education experience will be helpful. Our organization selects applicants that demonstrate a strong desire to develop their teaching and communication skills.

As we are educating teenage youth at risk we have designed a program that will maximize each fellows time, energy, and skills. We have seen that where the students need our fellows the most is with after school enrichment activities. You will have the opportunity to utilize your various talents and interests through your teaching and extracurricular participation in the village every day. Past participants have led debate clubs, international culture lessons, and workshops on important issues facing children and adolescents.

Due to the holistic nature of the Youth Villages changing schools is not as simple as just changing schools. Our commitment to the students is long-term, and should not be cut short part-way through the year to change a volunteer location. If you are having any issues at your school placement, talk to your program coordinator in Israel and (s)he will help you.

There are usually 20-25 students in each classroom but most of the time you will be working in smaller groups with 2-3 students. For after school activities it can vary greatly as different amounts of kids participate in a variety of activities.

The safety, security, and well being of Ma'ase Olam participants is of paramount importance to us. Ma’ase Olam adheres to the security regulations of the Israeli Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Education. Ma'ase Olam updates its participants regularly regarding security issues in Israel and makes changes when need be to the program. Upon arrival in Israel, you will go over appropriate security regulations to follow throughout your stay.

Ma’ase Olam is open to Jewish people of all backgrounds. Our organization has no political or denominational affiliation. That being said, we want everyone to feel comfortable no matter what their level of Jewish observance is. Accordingly, all meals provided during the program are kosher, and the program does not entail any activities that would violate traditional observance of Shabbat.

After completing the online application, you will be contacted by a rep from Masa's New York office. They will help you decide which of Israel Teaching Fellows' chapters is the best fit for you. If you are interested in joining Ma'ase Olam's ITF chapter in Rehovot, please make that clear to the Masa representative that you speak with.

Step 2: Phone call and Skype Interview with Ma'ase Olam.

If you and the Masa representative agree that our ITF chapter is the best fit for you, we will contact you to schedule a time when we can conduct an initial phone call then a skype interview. Unfortunately we cannot conduct in-person interviews as our offices are in Israel. The interview is a great way for us to get to know the person behind the application and to learn more about your interest in education and commitment to social justice. During the interview we will try to assess if you are suitable for the program requirements and norms. Expect each interview to last about an hour.

Step 3: Turn in your supporting materials.

After your interview, you should submit your supporting materials, which consist of:

Ma'ase Olam will contact you to inform you if you have been accepted into the program.

Step 6: Pay the deposit and sign up!

You'll have two weeks to make a final decision regarding your participation in the program. At the end of those two weeks, your $50 application processing fee and $300 non-refundable deposit are due. Those payments will be deducted from the total $1,050 program fee.

If you do not pay the processing fee and make the deposit within two weeks from your acceptance into the program, your position will no longer be guaranteed.